8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Sheraton Needham
>>Download seminar brochure (pdf)

For years, the "cram today, forget tomorrow" paradigm of instruction and assessment has dominated the typical American classroom. No one likes it, and everyone involved- from administrators to teachers to students-knows that this approach doesn't work for true learning. So why does everyone play the game? Perhaps because those involved aren't aware that a better way exists. The good news is that recent research into how the brain learns and retains information can guide us to much more effective practices that promote long-term retention of content knowledge. Forget the "cram today, forget tomorrow" approach. Attend this workshop and learn how the brain forms long-term memories and practical strategies for incorporating this vital information into your curriculum and instruction.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At this seminar, you will learn information about:

• The crucial role of prior knowledge for learning new content knowledge
• How increased relevance correlates with and leads to increased retention in students
• The challenges of limited working-memory space and how lesson design can be changed to increase processing of content knowledge
• Effective (and fun!) strategies for helping your students retain much more information than they've ever been able to before
• How to harness the power of multiple memory pathways for creating robust memory of academic content

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This seminar will be applicable to all education professionals, including teachers of all grade levels and content areas, academic coaches, curriculum directors and administrators.

WORKSHOP LEADER

William Wood, MA, began his educational career as an English teacher, teaching high school and university level literature and writing classes for 14 years. He then served as the Communication Arts Consultant for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for five years. Mr. Wood left the Department of Education in 2000 to become a full-time educational consultant and presenter. He now serves as President of Open Mind Technologies, Inc., an educational consulting firm. For the past eleven years, Mr. Wood has been deeply involved in the brain-compatible teaching field. He has trained with respected leaders in the field and has presented numerous workshops in school districts and at national and international conferences on the brain and teaching. His primary focus is on practical classroom applications extrapolated from that research.